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Homeplugs


Tipex
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Can anyone recommend a particular set of home plugs?

You know, those WiFi range extender things you plug in to a wall socket, preferably something I can pick up at Currys PC world on Sunday.

My parents WiFi box is in the study in the south wing, and consequently the rest of the house, particularly the part with the rooms they use doesn't get any WiFi reception.

I'm popping up on Sunday after I've picked the kids up from a birthday party, and there is a Currys PC World next to the place the party is at, so will be convenient to pick it up then, and I'd like to get them fitted that afternoon.

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I bought these less than 2 months ago.

 

They're still on offer on Amazon.  Another member on here bought the versions that have a straight through plug so you don't lose a socket and I think he's as happy as I am with them.

 

BT Wi-Fi Home Hotspot 500

 

I now enjoy a speed of around 50mb at the top of our garden (I'm actually sat there on my laptop right now) and that's a decent distance from the house (I'll get 90mb-ish in the house).

 

It has also solved a blackspot in the house near our eldests room.  We now get a full strength signal there.  This is good because it means she can work from her bedroom instead of doing our heads in elsewhere in the house.

Edited by NewNiceMrMe
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Many thanks, I've just reserved some on click and collect from Currys, slightly cheaper than Amazon when you add enough postage to get them next day too.

Will let you know how they perform on Sunday.

+++

Edited by Tipex
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I tried Homeplugs, but I wan't that impressed (old house, going from downstairs to upstairs).  I bought the cabled type as there was no need for the wireless one.

 

Kept dropping out!

 

So I just ended up with a Netgear wireless extender plug for upstairs and used my old Netgear wireless dongle for signal - it's been much better!

Edited by cruiser647
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Anyone concerned about radio waves? We all live between multiple mobile phones and various overlapping wifi stations, plus TV, radio etc but is having a wifi booster in your bedroom etc a good idea?

Just pondering as would rather not have toasted children.

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Radio is just an electromagnetic wave.  It's at the extreme long-wavelength, low-energy end of the spectrum:

 

spectrum.png

 

So in other words, every type of electromagnetic radiation has a higher energy than radio.  Note that the "energy" in question is the photon energy - i.e. the amount of energy in a single "unit" of the radiation, as opposed to the number of units that are being emitted.  So if getting in the way of an x-ray beam could be likened to getting in the way of an Andy Murray tennis serve, then a radio wave would be equivalent to being in the way of someone throwing some flour at you.  In fact, the difference is probably more extreme, look at the numbers which show a difference of 1010, i.e. an x-ray photon is 10,000,000,000 times more energetic than a radio-spectrum photon.

 

So that's why I'm not worried.  Each individual quantum (sorry, "unit") of a radio wave is simply too feeble to do anything.  It's not even as energetic as a microwave, and all that does is wiggle an oxygen-hydrogen bond a bit more, so that it warms up.  To do damage to a structure, you need to hit it with individual elements that are each capable of doing some damage, and radio isn't going to cut it. 

 

So before you fret about WiFi repeaters, you might want to consider other more urgent risks, in particular:

  • Sunscreen.  Look where the UV band is.  Right up there on the high-energy side of the spectrum, next to x-rays.
  • No more x-rays or CT scans.  Insist on MRI (unless you have any metallic implants, or think magnets are scary as well).  Of course, if you break your leg you'll be in the shit, but at least your WiFi didn't hurt you.
  • Stay indoors, all the visible light is much higher energy than radio waves
  • Close the curtains, the darker the better
  • Turn the heating off, heat is transmitted by infra-red RADIATION OMG OMG
  • Lobby the government to switch off the broadcast media, but they won't listen will they, they want to transmit waves that will go into our heads and FRY OUR BRAINS, it's a CONSPIRACY I tell you, a CONSPIRACY.
  • Make a hat out of tinfoil, it's the only way to stop them taking control of your mind
  • etc etc...

 

PS - No need to worry about gamma rays btw, they're so energetic they'll go straight through you.  It's only a worry if the flux is truly huge, in which case the air will be turning blue and not just because of the swearing as everyone else runs away. 

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I have got the BT plug through ones (Comtrend 9020) that came with one of the earlier home hubs. It connects the BT Vision Box.

 

But the wireless signal isn't great in the new house (3 floors) so I just bought a couple of extras on ebay. Arrived this morning and took 5 mins to set up and configure to the existing pair.

 

Work a treat.  

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Well what can I say, does exactly what it says on the box, couldn't have been simpler to set up, just plug both units in, connect the wire to the router and it's done.

We were a bit worried that there are separate circuits due to the size of the house, but it doesn't seem to be a problem at all, I was sat in the gazebo earlier, half way up the garden, about 200ft away and was getting a perfect connection.

They now get perfect reception all over the house, which is more than we wanted, so thanks for the recommendation, I'd have no hesitation in passing on that recommendation. +++

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You have a 400 ft garden? I'm jealous. I thought ours was a decent size but 400 ft is mammoth.

Not mine, my parents, it's huge, it's about double that in width.

Ours is about 200 ft but backs on to private woodland that is owned by the 8 houses that back on to it, to be honest, I hate gardening and wish it was smaller!

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This thread has pushed me to get a homeplug, have gone for the BT 500 too.  Depsite living in a modern plat (cardboard walls) the wifi from one end to the other is poor.

 

Can you turn off the lights or is it a case of using electrical tape?  ours will be in the bedroom

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I'm not aware of any settings that would allow that, but then I never even read the instructions, I just plugged them in and they worked.

In my parents house they are both hidden, one behind a desk, and the other one behind a sofa, so no lights to be seen, have you a more discreet plug anywhere you could use? Or perhaps a neighbouring bedroom?

Edited by Tipex
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